Rumor has it
by Elicia1
Summary: The rumor mill had been quiet at Cook County, but not for long... Luby implied.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

-"Did something happen between Abby and Kovac, while I was away?" Haleh's question came surprisingly. Inez shook her head slowly chewing a chunk of her sandwich.

-"Well we had the Sydney Carlisle case two days ago." Chuny said. "Abby was in charge and Clemente and Luka kept arguing about the best treatment. The little girl died and Luka blamed everyone, Abby included, for her death. Like she could have done anything else. Clemente gave his orders and forbid her to do what she wanted."

-"I heard both attendings argue after that. Didn't sound very friendly. Clemente's nose even started bleeding. I'm happy Dr Kovac never speaks to me like that. He was frightening." Inez shrugged remembering the scene.

-"You should have seen the looks he gave Clemente while he and Abby were trying a last attempt to save Sydney. It's like he was ready for murder. He threw the chart on the bed without saying a thing and just left. Poor Abby was left to suture Sydney and make her presentable for the parents… That day was like hell!"

-"So you'd say, they weren't on friendly terms that evening."Haleh wondered.

-"Not really. Luka left hardly talking to anyone. Abby stayed waiting for the Carlisles to show up. They were devastated when they learned what had happened. Not the best way to end a shift if you want my opinion. We left at the same time and I'm pretty sure she was ready to cry when she went home." Chuny sadly shook her head. Seeing people die on you was always bad, but losing little Sydney had left her feeling completely useless.

-"What are you talking about?" Frank came in and joined the little group.

-"Chuny and Inez were telling me what happened two days ago with this little girl."

-"Oh yeah! Sad story. Passions run high that day. I thought Kovac and Clemente were ready to go at each other's throat. Not that Clemente would have had any chance…"

-"Why did you ask? I know you worked with them yesterday after they came in to help. Did something happen? That wouldn't really surprise me." Chuny tried to shake the uneasy feeling off and wondered where this conversation was leading to .

-"See what you tell me just doesn't fit with what happened yesterday. They were… I don't know how to describe it?"

-"Oh, Haleh has noticed something. You're always the quickest from us all. Spit it out." Frank was smiling widely. Finally something interesting to chat about! Abby and Luka had always been favorite discussion subjects. The rumor mill had been quiet in the last months. Cook County just needed something juicy.

-"It just doesn't make sense." Haleh added lost in her thoughts.

-"Well let's try to make sense out of it. You saw something, we'll analyze it. We're good at that. The last rumors came from Pedes, it's time for ER to start spreading the news again. It's been so damn quiet lately. And any news including Kovac is a hit in this house."

-"Oh come on, don't make it sound so mysterious! Just spit it out. What did you think had happened?" Inez was getting impatient. She was new in the little group and enjoyed the stories the others always told her. Most of the other young nurses envied her placement in ER. All of them wanted to work with the hottest doctor around. And she was one of the lucky ones.

-"Okay, I'll say it, but don't you laugh at me! Any of you! I mean it!" She looked around and her warning stare showed she meant business.

-"Cross my heart…" Frank said half laughing.

-"I think they slept together." Inez almost choked on her soda and tears were gathering in her eyes from the bubbles. Chuny was reenacting a fish deprived of air and Frank's eyes were as round as billiard balls.

-"You have to be kidding me. No way. Why would Dr Kovac and Abby do that? He was with Sam not very long ago. He is not like that." Everyone turned to Inez.

-"Oh Inez, you're so new here. I'd say there are many things about Luka you don't know."

-"So?"

-"Well I, my dear, had a very brief affair with him, if you want to know." Chuny sweetly added.

-"That's called a one night stand." Frank corrected.

-"No way!"

-"Yes way!" Chuny laughed.

-"When did that happen?" Inez seemed so stunned, she couldn't take her attention from Chuny.

-"Oh pretty long ago. He was trying to get over his previous girlfriend. He tried very hard during a very long time."

-"Wow, really? She must have been a …"

-"That was Abby."

-"Really? They were together at one point? Oh okay I guess it's not that impossible then."

-"What is not impossible?" Jerry asked when he came in.

-"That Abby and Luka slept together!"

-"Really when?" He didn't really show any surprise.

-"Haleh is guessing Tuesday night." Haleh nodded at Chuny's answer.

-"With those two everything is possible." Jerry sat down next to Frank and started eating a strange looking pasta salad.

-"But we have no proof. It's just Haleh having this feeling after working with them, what? Half an hour?" Inez noted. She shook her head in disagreement. She had seen them both yesterday and today. For her nothing seemed remotely different.

-"I know them well." Haleh answered, slightly hurt by the young woman's disbelief. "There was something there, that wasn't before I left. Hasn't any of you worked with them today? Or maybe someone has seen something?"

-"Sorry to disappoint you but I haven't noticed anything..." Chuny remarked.

-"They were friendly as usual." Jerry looked up from his plate, as he spoke.

-"Well Kovac was definitely smiling a lot the whole day. That has to mean something. He is not the smiling type." Frank had noticed a change but that was all.

-"Who is not the smiling type?" Clemente wondered. No one answered, taken aback by the doctor's appearance in the staff's lounge. "What am I not allowed to come in here? I didn't feel like going to our lounge, the atmosphere is still pretty thick. So who is not the smiling type?"

-"No one." Chuny's answer was quick.

-"It only fits Kovac." Clemente continued. "The others are all pretty easy going. But I'd say since he's got some, he definitely seems more relaxed. So you're discussing the big guy... Guess he is a good conversation subject. I could pick on him the whole day."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

-"What makes you say, he had some?" Suddenly their attention was all on Clemente.

-"Man I'm not blind, are you? He still doesn't like me, but he was in a very good mood yesterday. We could almost pleasantly chat."

-"We were wondering about the same thing. But we weren't sure there were any clues. And about the lady concerned..." Haleh pushed a little bit. Maybe the doctor had also noticed something worth mentioning.

-"Okay let me see... Who was wearing the same clothes yesterday as the day before? With whom did he come in that evening? Who is he always looking for and staring at? Anyone wants to guess? No? Well the answer is Abby Lockhart." Haleh jumped on her chair and happily looked at the others.

-"Okay, but I'm not sure that actually means they did anything." Inez was still adamant.

-"She never wears exactly the same outfit from one day to the other." Chuny was lost in her thoughts. As Abby had been wearing scrubs 2 days ago, it was probably logical that no one had noticed that. Clemente was good!

-"That's true. She at least changes her top." Haleh confirmed, satisfied that finally the others were ready to believe her.

-"Don't forget she was on leave on Wednesday and it was 5.30pm when she came in." Jerry discarded his salad. This was getting too interesting and food would have to wait.

-"Well maybe she didn't bother changing. She spent the whole day in her pajamas and jumped in the first clothes she found, when she was called in." Inez was still not convinced and was looking for a sensible explanation to this apparent lapse in Abby's behavior.

-"Or she couldn't change because she hadn't been home! She was called on her cell. She could have been anywhere." Jerry rubbed his hands together in excitement.

-"And Dr Clemente just said they came in together." Haleh was smiling widely. Yes! She had been right.

-"They certainly did." Victor confirmed.

-"That doesn't mean a thing. They have all been called in at about the same time."

-"Oh Inez, get real! Abby lives further away from here than Luka. If they were called at the same time and she was home, there was no way she could have been here at the same time as him. This can only mean they were at the same place and together!" Haleh insisted.

-"And he wasn't wearing the same clothes as the day before." Jerry chuckled.

-"She was maybe nearby and it was just a coincidence they came in at the same time."

-"So she didn't spend the day in her pajamas?" Frank mockingly wondered.

-"Oh, Frank!"

-"Yeah right! Totally believable: she was wearing the same clothes the whole day even though it was her day off. And she spent it about 15 minutes away from the County just in case we had an emergency. That really makes sense. Poor Abby, she really must miss us when she is not working!"

"So let's say she was at his place. We know she was upset when she left 2 days ago. They're good friends, we all agree on that." Everyone except Clemente agreed half-hearted.

"If you call that friendship, you have to be nuts." The doctor commented.

"It's not far fetched to think that she went to his flat to discuss things with him. They could have talked late in the night and he let her sleep at his place. The next day they talked some more or maybe they did something together. Later they were called in and came together."

"That's an awful long time to talk. He left at 8pm, she left at what? 9 pm? That left them 20 hours to speak. That must have been a hell of a conversation. But yeah, I agree on they 'did' something together." Clemente chuckled at his last comment.

-"Oh Inez! That's the most unbelievable story ever."

-"Well I don't think so." Frank's statement took everyone by surprise.

-"You don't think so?" Haleh rolled her eyes, wondering what was wrong with Frank.

-"Well you just have to replace the work 'talk' by 'have sex' and I think this story makes complete sense!" As soon as he had finished his sentence, everyone except Inez burst out laughing.

-"There must be another reasonable explanation." Inez insisted.

-"Well I don't see any." Chuny smiled at Inez. She knew the young nurse had a crush on Luka. Picturing him with a new girlfriend wasn't apparently something she wanted to do.

-"I can only talk about what I saw." Clemente explained matter-of-factedly. "I can't say I know them as good as you. But believe me, those two didn't talk. They both had that look when they came in yesterday night. A look that tells me that they have done the deed more than once and that it must have a hell of a good time for both of them. Not that I understand what she would possibly want with a guy like him." The nurses exchanged looks. "Yeah well, whatever! If he had any sense of humor, I'd hit on her just for the fun of it. But I'm not sure it's wise."

-"Well it could be fun." Jerry laughed at Frank's comment.

-"Fun for you. You wouldn't be the one counting your bones."

"We could all tease them a little. Imagine: a secret affair? It's been so long since we had the last one." Haleh was smiling broadly. This was going to be so cool. She already knew how to make the best out of it.

"Yeah, I miss the secrecy, the pretend first meeting in the morning, the questions about how the previous evening was..." Jerry dreamingly recalled.

"It was so much fun with Doug and Carol. Those two were like open books." Chuny confirmed.

"The question is do we have enough to start the rumor mill?" Haleh had her doubts. Maybe it was too soon to start talking.

"We have started it with less evidence in the past." Frank nodded, this was more than enough. It would be a like a wake-up call. In no time, it would become the hospital's first topic of conversation. It would be as good as Abby's Dear John letter. No, this was far better, especially if they played it right!

"Yeah but this is major. Two doctors, one an attending, the other a R2 and with their past history, this will make headlines here."

"Oh they were already together once? Guess that explains why they jumped in the sack so quickly. He already knew what buttons to push to get her flat." The men laughed at Clemente's comment.

"This is a very disgusting way of..." Inez shook her head.

"Sorry if I offended you, but... well that's what happened. Too bad, I'd have loved to have a little affair with Lockhart, she is completely my style. Okay, I like them a little trashier, but I could make an exception."

"I'd say let's start the rumor but low-key. We could say that two doctors in ER had a little fling. No real details and let's see how far the ball rolls and the interest it arouses." Frank looked at the others to see if they agreed with his plan. Clemente shook his head.

"No! You shouldn't say two doctors right away... Maybe just that someone from ER got lucky... It's open enough. This way no one will know if it was a doctor or a nurse or someone else. Wait 2-3 days and see how the rumor comes back."

"That's brilliant. It will leave us enough time to see if it was a one-night-stand or if it evolves in something more serious." Haleh's smile was broadening.

"We also have to make sure that the rumor doesn't come back to ER to haunt us. I mean you wouldn't want them to hear from it too soon. That could compromise future encounters or make them too careful."

"No risks there. Luka is the only person in this hospital who isn't into rumors. And that's a good thing, I'm not sure he would still be working here if he knew all the things said about him. As far as Abby is concerned, she almost never heard the ones about her." Chuny laughed. It was so easy to fool Abby on those things. She was so trusting and almost never double-checked with people outside from ER.

"A rumor about Abby and Luka! I can't wait to see it unfold!" Haleh clapped her hands. Clemente was looking at her thoughtfully.

"You know if they are past lovers and good friends, they could have been doing this for quite some time. You know once in a while when they are both unattached, just to release the tension. I used to have a banging friend like that. It's more common than you think." They all stared at him. "What? Don't you people ever get out? Or have a life?"

"They're not like that!"

"They're not like that!" Clemente mocked, imitating Inez shocked voice. "You didn't notice a thing this time, why would you have noticed something before?"

"Hey, I noticed." Haleh countered.

"Okay so they might have done it in the past. Why not? I agree it is possible. But there is no evidence for or against that. Now we have the current situation and here we can figure something out." Chuny stood up to calm things down. "Okay so let's split tasks. Haleh, Malik, Inez and I will be in charge of the monitoring with patients. Jerry and Frank will keep track of every suspicious behavior outside of trauma."

"And what will I do? I want to have some fun too!" Clemente whined. "For once that something happens here…"

"Whatever you like, you seem good at noticing details. And you could still try your luck with Abby. Maybe it isn't serious and you could still score with her."

"Yeah or maybe it is serious and I'm the next ER case to roll in." He snorted.

"Sometimes you have to live dangerously..." Inez smiled sweetly. She guessed that daring him was the best way to force him to action. She saw a cocky smile form on his face.

"It's not going to be said that I'm not up to a little challenge." He suddenly checked his watch and cursed. "I need to go back. It was fun chatting with you." With this he left the lounge as quickly as he had entered it.

"So what do you think? Can he land with Abby?" The young nurse wondered.

"I think he'll sooner discover that 8 inches can make a hell of a difference when another guy punches you!"

"Okay so when do we start?" Chuny asked.

"Our break is over, I'd say let the festivities begin!"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

Abby was updating a patient's file when she saw a smiling Haleh come her way.

"How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing fine, why?" The young doctor wondered. Hadn't they already talked this morning?

"Oh nothing! We just didn't have the opportunity to really chat since I came back. I really missed you all. It's so good to be here. Even with the hellion breathing down my neck." Abby chuckled at the descriptive.

"Yeah, just ignore her and do your job. We will all support you, you know that."

"I know that." Haleh became silent again, but her eyes were still on Abby.

"What? Why are you staring at me? Do I have a crumble on my cheek or mayonnaise stains?"

"No, nothing of that sort. You look good, but… maybe a little tired. You had the day off yesterday, didn't you use the opportunity to get some sleep?"

"Well I had to come in, that's not the way I imagine the perfect day off. It was past 1 am when I finally managed to go to bed. Then Kerry called this morning at 7.30 to tell me I was back on days starting immediately, I didn't even really get why. So I definitely didn't sleep enough last night."

"Oh, poor you!"

"But I plan to go to bed early tonight. I'll take a good book and relax in a nice, hot bath."

"That sounds like a good plan. Oh, Chuny seems to need me. See you later." Abby looked at Haleh's retreating form. Some days she sure was strange, what had that been about? She shook her head and went on with her paperwork.

"So could you get anything out of her?" Still looking in Abby's direction, Chuny grilled her friend as soon as she was close enough.

"Nope. She plays it tough. Have you seen Kovac?"

"He is with a patient, Sam is with him. So far I don't think they have worked together. That's not good. How are we supposed to see anything if they never get close to one another?" Chuny whined.

"Okay now you have to go!" Haleh pushed her friend in Abby's direction.

"Where? If I start questioning Abby now, she will get suspicious. We have to do that with style. And be patient. And look some more."

"True. She is already looking at us. Act natural! Maybe we should include other doctors. Neela could help." With a relieved sigh, she saw Abby take a chart and go to Sutures.

"What makes you think that Neela will be willing to help us here? No if any, I'd say Morris would be a good candidate." Chuny considered that possible ally.

"Morris would never get anything out of her. No, let's stick to Clemente for now. How late is it?" Haleh wondered.

"3.20. Why?"

"Hmm in 10 minutes nurses from Ortho will go on a break. Why not start the little rumor there? It's pretty quiet today. You should go upstairs and talk to them." A wide smile spread on Haleh's face.

"Why me?"

"With Eve around, I have to be cautious. I don't want to lose my job a second time." As she finished her sentence, Eve appeared. She looked at them, crunching her eyes.

"Haleh, I thought you were supposed to prepare Trauma 1 for the next patient." Haleh turned to Chuny.

"Okay I'll go." The young nurse whispered back.

"On my way, Eve." Haleh answered.

"We'll never get anything juicy if it goes on like that. I don't know but either that was a one-night-stand or they are damn good at covering their tracks." Sitting at Admit, Chuny pouted. She drummed on the counter with a pen and let out a sigh.

"There is still the possibility that nothing happened."

"Oh come on, Inez, we already had this conversation a thousand times."

"I'd just say we've been out of luck. Luka has been on nights twice while Abby was on days. So of course there was no interaction. Today we should be luckier. They're both back on the same shift." Haleh was still hopeful. Something had to happen. And soon!

"And what's the status of the latest gossip? Last time I checked, speculation was running wild."

"Well after 5 days of wild guessing, the rumor has come back to ER." Frank joined their little group.

"And?" The news brought a smile to Chuny's face. Finally she would know what her little chat with Dolores, one of the quickest rumor spreading nurses at County, had brought.

"Apparently Barnett has an affair with Inez." Frank bowed in front of Inez. The young nurse blushed furiously.

"With me? No way! I mean I like him and he is nice, but…" She stammered some more before becoming quiet.

"Ouch! I guess this needs a little tuning. It was definitely too vague." Chuny let her head fall on her folded arm. That wasn't looking good. Luka and Abby were behaving as though nothing had happened and now the rumor was all wrong. She looked at Inez thoughtfully. And what if the young nurse had been right? No, that wasn't the way to handle it. She looked at Frank, who was still smiling.

"Yeah, and of course I decided that something needed to be done. So I threw Abby's name in the talks this morning."

"So now the rumor is Abby and Ray?" Haleh laughed at the idea.

"Well, Abby is the person who had the most affairs with doctors here. So I guess they will couple her with anyone down here and up there…" Frank laughed. As the phone rang, he went to answer it.

"Poor Abby!" Inez made a face, trying hard not to laugh. "But well I guess, it's better her than me."

"Don't worry, she is used to it." Chuny said. "And after all this rumor is about her." As she finished her sentence, she saw Victor Clemente arrive. He was a little early for his shift.

"Dr Clemente, so how are you doing?"

"Fine, fine!" He didn't really pay any attention to Haleh and just walked past the little group.

"Any luck with Abby?" That question made him stop in his tracks. He turned with a smile on his face.

"I haven't tried yet. With Kovac not around, it would only have been half the fun. But you're right, there is nothing like today. The big man is back. Let the show begin." At that they all laughed, hoping that this day would bring something new.

"I think they are avoiding each other." Chuny bit in her cookie and looked thoughtfully at Abby, who was busy with a patient in Exam 3.

"No, they're not. I caught them chatting and laughing during your break. But by the time, I was close enough to hear what they were saying, a trauma rolled in and Abby helped Pratt with the patient." Haleh put three new charts in the rack.

"We're doomed." Chuny looked at a chocolate chip on her cookie and nibbled at it. Chocolate was still the best medicine. She checked her watch. 7.45 pm and nothing had happened. Again...

"Frank, did you notice anything?" Haleh didn't give up that easily. She had seen the first signs and she just couldn't believe that that had been it.

"He seems to be paying more attention to where she is. I caught him staring twice, but maybe he was just lost in his thoughts and I'm reading too much into it. They chat regularly together but not more than before." Even Frank sounded depressed. Resolutely, Chuny grabbed another cookie and furiously bit in it.

"And Abby?"

"She's giggling a lot and is also looking for little chats. But except for that, there is nothing to report. They don't come in or leave at the same time and don't seem to spend much more time together than before." Frank watched as Abby finally left Exam 4 and headed their way.

"Oh crap!" Haleh's expletive at that news showed her frustration.

"What is crap?" Abby wondered. Haleh jumped when she heard her friend's voice. She tried to hide her shock at seeing her that close.

"My new schedule. I have one shift less than I expected." Frank decided it was time to retreat. Observation from afar was definitely safer.

"Have you talked to Sam? She could help you with Eve." Abby smiled at her, trying to comfort her friend.

"Oh look. Clemente and Luka in a friendly chat. That doesn't happen often."

"They seem to get along better." They watched as both doctors parted. Luka smiled at them before heading to the lounge. Also smiling, Clemente joined them.

"Ladies." Time had come to act. Resolutely he focused his attention on Abby. "Abby, I was wondering, would you like to have a drink with me, tonight or another night?"

"A drink?" Abby frowned. Now that was a strange invitation!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"Yeah, we could play pool. I'm a little bored here and I could use some nice company. Barnett is always busy with his band, Pratt has a girlfriend and no time for me. Same goes for Neela. And I don't feel like asking Morris, 12 hours a day is more than enough."

"So you ask me, because you're out of candidates. Wow that's very… thoughtful." She let out a little laugh.

"No, I'm asking you because I like you best. And you're pretty, single and I'm sure you like to have fun. Please, you can leave a poor man like me alone one more night." Haleh had to repress a smile. He was good. His whining seemed so real. She looked at Abby and just prayed she would give in.

"I don't know." Still smiling, she shook her head.

"Don't make me beg, Lockhart." Clemente moved closer.

"You could ask Luka. He likes to play pool." She offered. That alternative was safer. Going out with Clemente didn't sound like a good idea.

"Well, you're more my style." He chuckled. "I promise I'll behave. I'll even pay dinner if you want." Clemente moved to plan B. A drink and playing pool didn't seem enough to convince her. Maybe a nice dinner would make the trick.

"Dinner? Is this a date?" Abby was definitely puzzled. A date with Clemente? She looked at the nurses who suddenly seemed completely forgetful of them.

"Please say yes. If you have a heart, you can't say no. I promise you won't regret it. We'll have fun!" She pondered some more. His pleading eyes were getting to her.

"I don't know." Clemente moved even closer.

"Please?" Suddenly he lost his cocky smile and seemed genuinely desperate to have company that evening. She looked at him once more and gave in.

"Okay, I'll go. But it's not a date. We're clear on that?"

"Absolutely! Not a date." He confirmed.

"Give me 5 minutes. I have to grab my coat." With that she left for the lounge.

"Clemente, you are a genius. I never thought you could convince her." Haleh laughed.

"You're one good actor." Chuny admiringly added.

"Yeah I am." As he turned, he saw Luka heading their way. "So Kovac, you going home?"

"Yeah I'm beat, you too?" Frank moved a little closer. That was going to be good.

"No, I convinced Abby to spend the evening with me." Victor smiled as he saw Luka's face freeze. Now that was telling. "Do you know what kind of restaurants she likes best? Maybe I should have bought flowers. What do you think? You know her better than me. I don't want to make a bad impression on her."

"You have a date with Abby?" Luka's disbelieving tone brought an even broader smile to Clemente's face. His accent had become thicker and his expression spoke for him.

"Yeah, but don't tell the others." He had whispered the last sentence, as though he wanted to make sure that no one had heard him. "I don't want rumors to start about us. I mean, it's only our first date. I want to take it slowly. Abby's a lady. So any tips to help me?"

"No…" Luka looked at Clemente, wondering if it was some kind of joke. Certainly Abby wouldn't accept to go out with him. He wasn't her style. Not at all.

"Don't worry I'll manage." He soothingly added. "Ah! Here she comes. She sure looks good. We're even perfect in size. See, I'm not too tall." As he said that, he looked at Luka as if making a point.

"She likes tall." Luka growled through his teeth. Clemente just looked past him, not showing that he had actually heard his comment.

"Maybe for now. That's because she hasn't been out with me. So pretty lady, are you ready to go?" Offering his arm to Abby, he steered her past a shocked Luka.

"Yes I am." Abby smiled and questioningly looked at Luka. Why was he staring so strangely? She turned to Victor, who graced her with his best smile.

"I know this French restaurant. Their fish is delicious. You will love it." He took her hand in his and decidedly went for the exit.

"Weren't we supposed…" Abby reluctantly followed his lead, alternatively looking at Luka and the others.

"Goodnight Kovac!" Clemente chimed.

"Yeah, have a nice evening Luka, see you tomorrow!" She waved his way, but he didn't offer any answer. He just stared back. With an uneasy feeling, Abby left the hospital at Victor's arm.

"So Clemente finally made a move on her?" Frank told Haleh. He had made sure he was loud enough for Luka to hear. "I wondered how long it would take him. It's pretty obvious he likes her."

"I think she likes him too. She insisted that he call her by first name." At Chuny's little barb, Luka grumbled, still wondering why Abby was even considering a date with Clemente. The guy was just a pain, what could she possibly see in him? This was not good. Once again he cursed his wrong choice of words that night.

"Oh goodnight Dr Kovac." After having watched Luka motionless for the last two minutes, Haleh had decided to take him out of his stupor.

"What?" The nurse's voice had startled him. He had completely forgotten where he was. How long had he been standing there? Looking at the staff he realized it had definitely been too long. Finally he made his way to the exit, it was pointless to stay here. A nice beer at home was just what he needed. Had he thought of refilling his fridge? "Yeah, goodnight Haleh, bye Frank. Chuny..."

"That's what I called shocked rigid. If that doesn't make him act, the guy is hopeless." They watched him leave. "Don't be late tomorrow, ladies. The show has finally begun. It was damn time!"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"So how was you date with Clemente?"

"That wasn't a date, Neela." Abby answered smiling.

"Didn't he take you to a French restaurant? I mean that's something."

"How do you know that?" She looked at her friend, not sure she wanted to know how this information was already all over the ER. "Yeah he did, but that was only an incentive to make me say yes."

"So how was it?"

"The restaurant?" Abby teasingly asked.

"Yes that, and all the rest!"

"It was an interesting evening."Abby had to laugh. It had been agreeable. It took her some time to relax at the beginning. Clemente's behavior at the hospital had made her suspicious about his ulterior motives. But he had behaved like a gentleman the whole evening.

"You liked it?"

"Yeah. It was a little weird. I mean I hardly know the guy and he takes me to 'La Bohême'. The place was far too expensive and I was definitely under-dressed for the occasion. And he bought me flowers, can you imagine that?" As they walked they reached Admit where Frank, Chuny and Haleh were eagerly waiting for details.

"Flowers? Wow! What kind?" Haleh wondered.

"Red roses…"

"Oh, that's for passion. He sure knows how to treat a woman. That means something Abby." Chuny chuckled and smiled knowingly at Neela and Haleh. Abby just shook her head. They were all crazy. It had been a nice gesture. The little bouquet had been lovely, 5 tiny red roses with baby's breath. Nothing in common with this morning's bouquet. She still wondered what had driven him to buy her 12 red roses. Had she given him the impression she was interested in him? She frowned. She definitely needed to talk with Clemente. She just wondered where he was. She looked around searching for him.

"Did you go dancing?" Haleh just didn't let go. Abby had to smile, they sure all looked very excited. She almost felt bad to soon disappoint them.

"Yeah we did."

"Did you like it?" Chuny pushed. Getting a complete sentence out of Abby was a complete challenge.

"Yeah, I guess." She smiled, remembering the crazy salsa place they went after dinner. It definitely had been fun.

"Our little doctor has certainly made an impression on you. You look all dreamy and happy. That must have been a hell of a date." Abby looked up surprised by Frank's little tirade. She certainly wouldn't qualify her evening as a dream date, it had been fun but that was all. She saw him look behind her. As she turned, she saw Luka.

"Good morning." His greeting was short and his eyes were immediately on Abby. She smiled until she realized, he wasn't smiling back.

"Hi Dr Kovac. Abby was just telling us about her date with Dr Clemente. What did you take at 'La Bohême'? I heard they have the best chocolate mousse on this side of the Atlantic."

"He took you to 'La Bohême'?" Luka seemed stunned. He definitely hadn't thought that Clemente would take her to such an exclusive place. What was he planning?

"Yeah…" Abby hesitantly looked at Luka. Why did she suddenly feel like a little girl who's been caught with her hand in the cookie jar?

"And after that they went dancing! And he bought her red roses! It's so romantic. Are you going to accept another date with him?" Even as Chuny was speaking, Luka didn't break eye contact with Abby.

"That wasn't a real date." She turned to the others. "We had fun but that's it. I mean… it was… nice." As soon as the last word left her mouth, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Abby looked up at him and saw his eyes narrowing.

"Nice?" He repeated the word slowly, as to check its meaning with her.

"Yeah…" She couldn't understand his question. The word was… definitely not the one she should have used. Realization hit her full force. She could have slapped herself. "No! Not nice! Definitely not nice." Luka nodded and finally looked away. Yeah, perfect! After five beers last night, he'd finally convinced himself, that this had been nothing. But 'La Bohême', red roses and dancing didn't really sound like nothing.

"I need to change, see you all later." With that he left, angrily yanking off his scarf. Being just friends really sucked. He had put himself into a living nightmare. Clemente and Abby? Great, that was just great. He felt like breaking something to release the tension.

"What has got into him?" The three women looked at his retreating form. Frank repressed a smile but remained silent.

"I can't believe I just said nice…" Chuny shook her head at Abby's apparent dismay.

"Well considering that he invited you to 'La Bohême', gave you red roses and took you dancing, the word is definitely an understatement."

"An understatement? Do you know what nice means?"

"Yes?" Neela answered, suddenly unsure.

"No, not that!" Abby shook her head categorically as though Neela had no clue what the word meant.

"What?"

"I don't know. I need to change." She had to go back to the lounge. Oh crap the lounge! She pinched the bridge of her nose feeling the mother of all headaches starting there. Those damn flowers! That sure was giving the wrong impression.

"You've already changed!" She looked down at her white lab coat. Damn for once she had been too quick.

"Oh yeah!"

"I need a coffee and so do you. Let me buy you one. It's not as fancy as in this posh restaurant you went last night, but I'm sure it'll do you good. Do you want anything?" Neela asked both nurses and Frank.

"No, we're good." They looked both doctors leave. "Now that was interesting. Clemente is a genius."

"Wait until Luka sees the roses he has brought this morning. They sure look good in the doctors' lounge." Chuny chuckled.

"I just hope Abby left the little card. It took us long enough to figure out what to write."

"You know what that means?" Frank asked.

"What?"

"Hell is going to break loose in ER. I bet Kovac will go for Clemente's throat in the next days."

"Sure, but sometimes sacrifices are necessary." They remained silent for a while. Suddenly Haleh shook her head.

"Nice?" Haleh chuckled. "Why do I have this strange feeling that this word has a completely different meaning for those two?"


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"What's that?" Luka wondered as he entered the doctor's lounge.

"A bouquet." Ray chuckled as he stated the obvious. "I think there's a card on it."

"Don't tell me, you haven't read it." Smiling, Luka grabbed his lab coat and turned around.

"Oh, yeah. 'For a wonderful evening with an amazing lady. Love, Victor'. I guess that means Abby is off limits now. Wait until the rumor mill gets that." Luka looked at the bouquet. Red roses? That was... definitely not good. He watched Ray leave and moved closer. He checked the little card and cursed as he read it. 'Love, Clemente'? For the hundredth time since that dreadful plane crash, he wondered what to do next. He had thought a little patience and distance was maybe required. But watching at the twelve roses, that didn't sound as a good idea anymore. But he couldn't just tell her, to stop seeing him, or could he? She had been the one who had insisted on just being friends. Maybe he should take the hint.

"How's your coffee?" Abby was lost in her thoughts. "Abby?"

"Yeah what?"

"Your coffee?" Neela pointed at the cup in her hand. Abby looked down almost baffled to be holding it. She slowly shook her head, as though wondering what she could say about it.

"Nice." Neela rolled her eyes at the word.

"Is it the only word you manage to say these days? Your vocabulary has sure shrunk! Now tell me what's wrong?" She moved closer to her friend. Something had been bothering Abby for some time now and she cursed herself for not having asked before. Since Michael had come back, she had spent most of her down time with him.

"Nothing is wrong." Abby gave her a sad smile and sipped her coffee.

"Yeah tell that to someone who doesn't know you. Is it Clemente? Has he tried something last night?"

"Tried?" She repeated the word not understanding what Neela had meant. "Oh no! Of course not. He was a perfect gentleman. He drove me home, we shook hands and I went to bed." Neela's eyebrows shot up. "Alone, I went to bed alone!"

"Oh, okay."

"You don't believe me?" Abby disbelievingly asked. How could Neela doubt her on a subject like that.

"Of course, I believe you. Afterall Clemente is not your style."

"Exactly. He definitely isn't."

"You like them taller with an European accent..." Neela observed Abby as she was talking. She saw a shocked expression on the other's woman face.

"Why are you saying that?"

"Didn't you tell me that you slept with Luka?"

"What?" Abby cursed herself. She never should have said something. But that night she had simply needed to say it out loud to someone. It had been too big a secret to keep it to herself.

"I heard it." Neela moved closer and gently putting her hand on her arm. "At the time, I just thought you were joking and just said it to make me stay. But then I wondered... You seem somehow different. So did you really sleep with him?" Abby shook her head and derisively laughed at herself. What was the point in denying it?

"Yeah I did." She answered in a whisper.

"And it wasn't good?"

"It was great. It was just..." How could she possibly describe what she had felt?

"Just...?"

"Awkward after all those years. I mean... It felt so strange, so unreal the next day. You know like when you have this feeling that you shouldn't be there, but wouldn't want to be anywhere else. When you have this urge to run away, but can't break free because somehow it feels so right."

"Wow."

"Yeah I know. If you had asked me two weeks ago, I would have honestly told you that whatever was once between me and Luka was over, dead and buried. That we were just friends and that I was happy about it. But now..." She broke into a sad laugh. "Now I know it has never been over. It's been there all the time, I just didn't let myself feel it."

"And how does he feel?" Abby looked at her cup and tried to smile.

"He told me what a great friend I was and that he didn't want to lose that."

"Ouch! You got the 'friend speech'?"

"Yeah. And I gracefully accepted it. It's my problem not his." She saw Neela's worried eyes on her. "It's okay. I'm grateful he was honest enough to stop it right away." As she finished her sentence, an ambulance entered the bay. "Time to go to work."

"I knew it." Chuny was clapping her hands. "This morning was just perfect. Did you see the look Luka gave Clemente when he went to help Abby with the GSW?"

"He sure didn't look happy to end up with Neela in Trauma 2. He kept looking at them. It was about time. It started to feel a little desperate in here." Haleh was smiling as she remembered the little scene. I had taken him two trials to put the central line. That had never happened before.

"Here he comes." Frank warned the two nurses. They immediately became serious again.

"Have you seen Clemente? I wanted his opinion on one of my patient."

"I think I saw him leave with Abby. Maybe they went for something to eat. Do you want me to page him?" Frank reached for the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Oh no. I can check that later. Thanks." Luka slowly shook his head. Things were getting worse. First last night's date, the twelve red roses in the lounge and now lunch? With a sigh he went back to the doctors' lounge.

"Frank, that was a lie! Abby went eating with Neela, not Clemente. Poor Luka! He actually sounded sad." Chuny observed Luka's retreating form.

"Yeah, now I feel bad. I mean that was not the plan when we started it. I don't want them to be miserable." Haleh's smile had vanished. She looked at Frank and didn't try to hide her annoyance.

"All he has to do is talk with Abby. If he doesn't do it, he can only blame himself." The older man grumbled. It had seemed an appropriate answer at the time. Well maybe not... As he looked up, he saw Abby making her way towards him.

"Have you seen Clemente?"

"No, so now you can't live without him. After one single date? Wow! He must be good." He used his most cheerful tone to hide his uneasiness.

"No, I need to check something with him." Abby stared at Frank and couldn't help noticing that he was avoiding direct eye contact. She wondered what that could mean. She turned her attention to Chuny and Haleh and realized that both nurses were also behaving quite strangely. What were they up to? Had Clemente said something? If he had, she was ready for murder.

"Well I don't know where he is. Check the lounge, he's maybe there." He had hardly finished his sentence that she was already on her way.

"Okay, thanks!"

"Frank, I knew you felt bad too." Haleh smiled at him.

"No, I don't." Half-smiling, he calmly rearranged papers on his desk.

"So why did you send her to the lounge when you know that the only person there is Luka?" The young nurse wasn't fooled. Behind his rough manners, Frank had a heart of gold. Unless...

"Clemente was just a way to make things move. Now let's see how it rocked." A devilish smile was once again to be seen on his face.

"How do you want to do that?" Chuny wondered.

"You have good ears, just go there and eavesdrop."

"Me? What if they see me?" She looked at Haleh, hoping for support. But soon she had to realize that her friend was thrilled by Frank's idea. Yeah well, no support could be expected there. She was outnumbered.

"They won't. Just go! We'll make sure nobody else goes there. Go!" Reproachfully she glared at her friends and made her way to the lounge.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"Damn flowers!" Luka took the card and read it for the tenth time. He turned as he heard the door open. Abby walked in, looking around. She froze as she saw him. He quickly put the little card in his pocket, hoping she hadn't seen him take it.

"Hey!" Well he certainly wasn't the person she had expected to find here.

"Hey..." Luka pushed his hand deeper in his pocket. Could she see the card from where she stood? He looked down and decided it was unlikely.

"Nasty shooting this morning." She observed him completely entranced by the contemplation of lab coat. Was it his way of telling her he didn't want to talk to her? He had been behaving quite strangely since last night. She was about to give up, when he suddenly answered.

"Yeah. I'm happy we pulled them through."

"Yeah..." Good at least it had been a complete sentence. Was he mad at her for some reason?

"Nice flowers." Luka pointed at the twelve roses

"Yeah. Vic went a little over the edge with them, I'm afraid." She quickly checked the bouquet. Good! The card wasn't there anymore. With a little luck Luka hadn't seen it. He looked at her, wondering when she had started calling Clemente Vic. Maybe during dinner, or dancing, or else. He shook his head, as to get rid of the thought. He didn't want to go there. She would never have invited him in. No, not Abby. That was ridiculous. The silence between them was becoming uneasy. He needed to say something, anything...

"So you enjoyed your evening, that's good." What? Where had that come from? That had to be the most stupid thing, he had ever said. It sounded almost as if he wanted to encourage her. Yeah great! He made a mental note to buy beer before going home. He probably would need another six-pack tonight .

"Yeah, it was fun. I'm just hoping that he doesn't read more into it than there is." She wasn't too happy that Frank, Chuny and Haleh had apparently decided that Clemente and her were the new, hot couple around. But if Clemente started to think he had a go, her life here could quickly turn into a nightmare.

"Oh, I thought you liked your date."

"That wasn't a date. I mean, that's not the way it was supposed to be. He felt lonely and made me feel bad about it. So I accepted to join him for dinner. He is a nice guy, but..." She just shook her head. Apparently the little episode with Dubenko hadn't been lesson enough. She absolutely needed to steel herself. Reaching out to her male peers had only put her in uncomfortable situations.

"Oh! I think he might be disappointed." He tried to suppress the smile that formed naturally on his lips.

"Really? I don't think so. Did he say something to you?" She looked at Luka genuinely surprised. Abby wondered if his strange behavior was the result of something Clemente had said.

"No, I just know I would be disappointed if I were him."

"You mean I should let him down gently? Maybe accept another date?" Puzzled, she wondered what his last sentence had meant. Was he concerned for Clemente? It seemed hard to believe as they weren't exactly on friendly terms.

"No, of course not. You have to be honest with him. You wouldn't want him to have false hopes, if you don't feel that way. Honesty always works best." He could have slapped himself. If he was going on like that, she probably would give Clemente another chance. Communication wasn't his strength but lately he seemed to get everything wrong with Abby.

"Yeah, it does." She couldn't help remembering their conversation. He had been honest enough about his feelings. She sighed and waited for him to say something more.

"So was 'La Bohême' any good?"

"Yeah, it's a great place. Perfect for a date. The lightening was very... intimate." Abby made a face which brought a smile on Luka's face.

"Maybe a little too intimate?"

"A little. I could barely see what I was eating. But the pianist was very good."

"A pianist? Wow! So do you have a song with Clemente now?" He smiled at his little jest, suddenly feeling far more at ease.

"Very funny! Well I don't know, let me think..." She pretended to think for a second. "What about 'Songe d'Automne'?"

"I don't know that song..."

"That's the last song they played when the Titanic sunk."

"Oh!" He hardly could keep his face straight. "Then it's appropriate, the perfect song." He started laughing.

"Well I need to find Clemente before he announces our engagement all over the hospital."

"Yeah do that. See you later." He winked at her as she left. Well maybe he didn't need another six-pack tonight. He took the card out of his pocket. With satisfaction he tore it apart. Okay, now the situation with the other doctor was clear. He simply had to make sure that no one would step in. As he walked to the door, he pondered his options. Taking it slow had proved dangerous. He needed to be more aggressive. He just needed a good opportunity.

"What happened? Spit it out!" Chuny hadn't even reached Admit, that Haleh was already questioning her.

"I didn't hear everything, but she sure looked happier when she went out." The young nurse smiled. "And just look at Luka. I haven't seen him smile like that in a very long time. I guess he was happy with what she told him."

"Yeah, but what did you hear? Come on!" Haleh was getting impatient. She knew she should gone herself. Chuny was far too cool and less used to those situations that she was. With a little smile, she remembered all the times she had sneaked on Doug and Carol. Those were times.

"Well she told him that it hadn't been a date-date. He advised her not to go out with him again and then they joked about a song, which was played on the Titanic. Not sure I got that one right." She couldn't help laughing as she recalled the little exchange. They had sounded very playful at the end.

"Good, very good!" Frank nodded with satisfaction. As he slightly turned his head, he caught Luka coming their way. "Dr Kovac, Dr Clemente is in Exam 4 if you're still looking for him."

"Thanks Frank, but I won't need him afterall. The situation is under control now." Still smiling, he took a chart and went whistling to Exam 1.

"Damn, I shouldn't have listened to you." Frank gazed disbelievingly at the closed door. "We just missed a major confrontation between those two. Now Kovac is all happy and shiny and doesn't want to tear Clemente apart."

"Do you actually remember that Victor is on our side in this story?" Haleh chastised him. "How you could you possibly want Luka to beat him up?"

"Yeah whatever... So what now?" The older man wondered. "Are we back at observing things between them?"

"I guess so, but I don't think we'll have long to wait." As Haleh finished her sentence, Neela walked to Admit.

"Anything else for me?" Neela wondered. "I'm finished with the woman with an infected ear, the little boy with the measles and the guy would needed suturing after opening a beer can with his head. How he ever got that idea is beyond me."

"No, I'm afraid not. It's pretty quiet. Ray is with an old lady who fainted at the Jumbo Market, Clemente is with the broken wrist and Kovac has the pleasure to deal with a puking 5 year-old."

"Yeah well, then I have time to get rid of some paperwork. I don't want to go home too late. Michael and I are going to the movies."

"Nice." Haleh looked at the petite doctor and tried her luck. "Have you heard the latest rumors about ER?" Neela smiled, she had wondered how long it would take for one of the staff to ask around.

"You mean the one about Inez and Ray or the one about Abby and Luka?" She looked at them as innocently as she could.

"There is a rumor about Abby and Luka? When did that one start?" Chuny came closer.

"You should know, you started it!" Neela crossed her arms as her eyes moved to the three people present. Frank quickly retreated, leaving both nurses with the petite doctor.

"What me? You have to be kidding me, I'd..." The young nurse feigned ignorance.

"Look, I'm neither stupid nor deaf. Do you think I haven't noticed all your plotting and spying around here?"

"We have never said that it was Luka and Abby..." Haleh countered.

"Yeah but the timing was perfect..."

"The timing?" Interest lit in Haleh's eyes.

"Yeah, the rumor started 2 days after..."

"Abby told you? You knew all along..." Both nurses closed the distance with Neela. Second-hand knowledge was more than welcome.

"It just slipped out, she didn't mean to say it." Neela could have slapped herself for blurting that information out. "And I wasn't sure at the time."

"Do you have details?" Chuny whispered the last sentence

"Chuny, even if I had details, I wouldn't share them. They're private. Abby is my friend, what she told me is not for general knowledge. I already told you far too much. So forget it."

"What should Chuny forget? Is this a little girls'club?" Funnily shaking his head in amusement, Morris had surprised them by his sudden appearance.

"Nothing!" They shouted out at the same time.

"Hey, I want to know." The smile disappeared from his face. "Why am I always the last one to know things around here?"

"Maybe because you are slow?" Neela rolled her eyes and took several charts, ready to flee Admit.

"I'm not slow! Hey I'm not slow." He stressed the last word as he saw the nurses disbelieving looks. As he turned around, he realized that Neela was already near Trauma 1." Neela? Where are you going? Was it about me? You can tell me! I can take it! Hey wait!"

"So now we have at least certainties. It happened." Chuny happily stated.

"Who doubted it? After what happened yesterday and today, it was pretty obvious, that this wasn't about friendship." Haleh winked at her friend and walked to the waiting room.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"Hey pretty lady! So how are you doing today?" Clemente smiled at Abby as she walked towards him.

"Fine, and you?" She managed to smile, but seemed highly uncomfortable.

"Good, very good. I feel all the energy from last night. It was really nice." He paused, and Abby shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "But we didn't see each other much today before the GSW. Were you avoiding me?" Clemente's teasing tone made Abby's smile widen.

"I wasn't avoiding you. Quite the contrary in fact. I wanted to talk to you about last night."

"You'd like a repeat and you're too shy to ask." Abby chuckled at his little joke and shook her head. "You know, I can do better. Maybe we could go somewhere more intimate..."

"More intimate than 'La Bohême'? Does a place like that even exist?"

"Yeah my flat... or yours. I'm a good cook, I could surprise you." She felt herself blush. She looked around making sure nobody was close enough to hear them.

"I'm sure you could. But it wouldn't be a good idea." She shook her head. Letting him brutally was maybe the safer option. He looked a little to self-certain. "Do you have time for a coffee? Let's take that somewhere, we can talk without being disturbed."

"Sure, let's go out for a minute." As they passed near Admit, Frank questioningly looked at Clemente. The doctor shrugged theatrically and followed Abby outside.

"Ah! Clemente is getting the brush off. Wonder how she will word that." Frank followed them with his eyes. He pursed his lips, regretting that this conversation wasn't taking place close enough for him to hear.

"Maybe 'Sorry, you're nice and all, but given the choice I'd take a tall, hot Croat over you any time'." Inez had blurted out her sally without blinking.

"Wow! You're harsh when you want, Inez." Frank was stunned by her snippy comment. He didn't know she had that in her. She always seemed so shy and well-mannered. Maybe his behavior was rubbing off her. He smiled at the idea.

"Well, that's what I would tell him. I mean who would honestly take Clemente over Kovac?" She shrugged certain to have stated the obvious.

"I might take Clemente. He is a good doctor and very knowledgeable. " Neela went to the closest computer at Admit and shook her head at Morris' answer. Unlike her, he hadn't heard the beginning of the conversation. And unlike her, he wasn't aware of the latest subject of conversation around ER.

"Morris! They're not talking about medicine." Neela pointed out. She observed him, wondering if he would finally get it.

"No? About what then?" Morris asked, his frustration patent.

"See, you're slow. Inez, I'd take Kovac too." It was pointless. She concentrated on her files and pretended the other resident wasn't there anymore.

Clemente was drinking his coffee while observing Abby. With a cup in her hand she seemed more comfortable. He tried to refrain the smile that was forming on his lips. She was certainly trying to find the nicest way to tell him off. He waited, quite eager to hear her out.

"I don't know how to say this." Abby was feeling a little unsure. She looked at Victor trying to assess his state of mind.

"Just say it. I'm a big boy, come on shoot!" He flashed her an encouraging smile. She took a deep breath and readied herself for what she had to say.

"When I accepted to go out with you last night, that was just two friends having a good time together." Her eyes were intent on him.

"And that's what we had. Or didn't you enjoy the evening?"

"Yeah, I did." She nodded. Sure, the evening had been fun. That hadn't been the problem. "But I was expecting pizza or pasta for dinner and maybe a drink afterwards. Certainly not 'La Bohême', red roses and dancing. That was a little beyond what I had in mind..."

"So you're basically telling me that your first dates usually suck and you were disappointed that this one was better?" Clemente disbelievingly asked.

"I never said that." His answer brought a smile on her face. If she was completely honest, he wasn't that wrong. Her first dates had usually been pretty bad.

"Well I'm not like that. I want the ladies I invite to have a memorable moment."

"Victor, we never agreed on a date." She reminded him. "That's the problem. If you had gone out with Ray or Greg, you certainly wouldn't have taken them to places like that."

"Of course not. I don't do things like that with men." Victor bit his lips. This conversation was cracking him up.

"You should have treated me like a man. As much as I liked it, it made me very uncomfortable. I was wondering what you had in mind. It was very disturbing."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you felt that way. It's just you didn't seem interested by just a drink and playing pool. So I thought..."

"Yeah I guess, I'm at fault too."

"So that means no further dates." He chuckled at the word. "I mean you don't plan to go out with me again, just as friends of course."

"I'd rather not, I'm sorry. People will talk if we go out. The rumor mill at County is pretty nasty and I don't want that to happen. Let's say my past history here has made me a likely subject for their conversations. My life is complicated enough as it is and that's not something I want to deal with."

"Have some of your friends advised you against going out with me?"

"No, of course not. Why would any of them do that?" She seemed genuinely surprised by his question.

"Not everyone likes me around here. I thought you might have let someone's opinion of me influence you." Abby's face froze as he said that. Nibbling her lower lip, she pondered what she could answer. She didn't want one rumor to replace another one.

"You're awfully quiet suddenly. So I'm right. Kovac told you I was bad news and you listened to him."

"He did no such thing."

"So he had nothing to do with your decision?" She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. She took a steadying breath and steeled herself for the lie to come.

"He has absolutely nothing to do with my decision." She tapped her coffee cup in attempts to settle the uneasiness in her stomach.

"Yeah sure. Thanks for the coffee. If you should change your mind, you know where I am. I better be getting back, it's cold here." Abby observed Clemente as he walked away. The discussion hadn't gone too bad. She could only hope that her date hadn't allowed any new rumor to unfold. She definitely didn't need that.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"So how was your little chat with Abby last night?" As soon as he saw him, Frank called Clemente over.

"No big surprise. She told me that she wouldn't go out with me again. I pressed her to figure out what Kovac had said. That got her a little nervous. At the end she told me that he had nothing to do with her decision." The doctor smiled at the memory.

"So if not Kovac, what was her reason for refusing a guy like you?"

"This place is a rumor mill and she didn't want one to start about her..."

"Ouch! Too late... There are things that can't be stopped." Haleh chuckled.

"So what are you going to do now?" Frank pushed.

"Well I can still flirt with her a little bit and I think a little talk with Kovac is mandatory."

"You sure like to live dangerously. I would be careful if I were you." Jerry had remained silent during most of their previous exchanges, but he felt the urge to warn the doctor.

"What? Are you afraid he'd hit me?" Clemente cockily asked. Frank shook his head.

"It's your call. Do whatever you feel comfortable with."

"I will. Just watch me." Having spotted Luka nearby, he resolutely went to him.

"Jerry, it's useless to warn him. The guy just won't listen. And I don't want to miss all the fun." Frank leaned back and readied himself for the confrontation to come.

"Kovac, can I have a word with you?"

"I'm busy. Is it urgent?" Frustratingly for Victor, he barely lifted his eyes from the chart he was holding.

"No, it's not. I guess it can wait as it's private." He paused awaiting a reaction from Luka. After receiving none he continued. "It's about Abby." As soon as her name was pronounced, Luka looked at the other doctor.

"What is there to talk?"

"Maybe we should go somewhere more private."

"I don't see why we should. There is no reason why I should discuss Abby with you." He showed his lack of interest in the discussion by walking away. Clemente turned to Admit and emphatically shrugged. Frank motioned him to follow Kovac.

"Really? Well maybe I see a reason."

"Like what?" Luka turned to face him.

"You told her to stop seeing me. You badmouthed me." Clemente decided on a more aggressive approach.

"I did not. She makes her own decisions." Luka wondered where this nonsense discussion was leading to.

"But admit it, you didn't want me to go out with her." The other doctor's calm was slowly getting on his nerves. What did he have to do to force him to react.

"This is not a discussion I want to have with you here." He looked around and finally noticed that their conversation was attracting a lot of attention in ER.

"So let's take it elsewhere." Clemente pushed again.

"No." He resolutely shook his head, again ready to walk away.

"You're just so full of bull, Kovac. You don't even have the guts to say it out loud." That final attack made him stop. He turned once again to face Clemente.

"Okay, let's go to Sutures 1." They walked there in silence. Everyone's gazes were on them as they entered the small room.

"So..." Clemente had hardly got the word out, that Luka pushed him against the wall, out of sight of prying eyes.

"What is this about? I just don't get you. You make a scene almost in the middle of ER." His frustration was patent. Luka looked at the smaller doctor trying to assess the reason behind his outburst.

"You keep pushing me down. You do it here at work, you do it in my private life. Do you enjoy that? Your life must have been very boring before I came along." Clemente slapped Luka's hand away and straightened his lab coat as he spoke.

"I didn't do a single thing about you and Abby."

"Yeah, tell that to someone else." Pretending disbelief, he decide to push Kovac a little more.

"Now listen to me. I didn't do anything. I didn't have to. You just never had a chance with her."

"That's because of you." He pointed his finger at Luka.

"Yeah than maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Just accept it."

"Why don't you just admit that you want her for yourself?"

"That's none of your business, Clemente. Just let it go. As shocking as it might be, not every woman falls for you." As he finished his sentence, he turned and went for the door.

"Same goes for you, Kovac."

"We'll see." A small smile graced his lip and with those last words, Luka left the room.

"So how was your little conversation with Kovac? Did he say anything interesting?" As soon as the doctor was back, Frank and Haleh bombarded him with questions.

"No, he didn't." At first, he had thought this confrontation would be fun, but Kovac's attitude and answers had just annoyed him. Abby had played the game and fallen into their little trap, Luka was another story.

"Come on." Haleh pressed.

"Just told me I never had a chance with Abby and that I'm not irresistible!" Irritated he drummed on the desk, looking for a way to calm himself.

"What a shock that must have been!" Inez chuckled as she eyed him. That couldn't have been good for his ego.

"Inez!" Frank warned.

"Yeah well, I already voiced my opinion on this matter." She looked sternly at the older man and winked at Haleh. The other nurse coughed to cover her laugh.

"I can tell you, that he is pretty sure that he'll get the lady at the end. What a pretentious prick!" He slammed his hand on the counter.

"Inez, one doesn't hit a man who is already down." The young nurse snorted and left Admit.

"What was that about, Frank?" Clemente wondered, finally noticing the little exchange.

"Ah, you don't want to know..." The clerk simply shook his head and pinched his lips to quench a smile.

"What happened today? Clemente and Kovac were at each other's throat the whole day. I thought they had finally gotten a little friendlier. And suddenly hell breaks loose." Ray angrily punched the keyboard of his computer. Being constantly in the middle of two arguing Attendings had been a pain. He checked his watched and cursed when he realized that his nightmare could possibly last another hour and a half.

"Really? I haven't noticed anything." Abby was checking the blood results of her latest patient.

"Don't tell me you haven't at least heard them? Abby, how can you possibly have missed the yelling? It started this morning in Sutures and now I expect one to stab the other with a scalpel."

"Well I heard some loud talks but no real yelling. I guess they're just a little overdoing it. It's probably going to calm down, once we know who becomes the new ER chief."

"No yelling? You need to have your ears checked." Sam answered in passing.

"When will we know?"

"In two days. Be patient, Ray. You're almost there."

"Okay I have to ask. Were you joking when you said they behave when you're around?" He smiled, ready for the joke to come.

"No they are civil, wouldn't call it friendly though..." Still reading, she tried to keep this conversation to a minimum.

"Does it have something to do with the fact that you dated both?" This comment finally got to her.

"I never dated Clemente. We went out once. That doesn't qualify as dating." She swore for the last time, that she would never get herself in a situation like this one. Were they all going to remind her of this one evening with Victor?

"He dined and wined you! That qualifies as dating." He reminded her. "So how did you do it?"

"Do what?" She wondered.

"Stop the yelling?"

"I had a talk with one of them two weeks ago."

"A talk? And that was enough? You must be very persuasive." Abby felt herself blush.

"Yeah I guess..."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"Where are Malik and Inez? We said we would meet here after our shift." Haleh turned around to check if they were still on their way in.

"They got caught up in a trauma, but they shouldn't be long." Chuny dropped her purse on the table.

"Okay, let's start anyway. They'll catch up later. So what the latest status, Chuny?"

"I had little talks with nurses in Pedes, OB, Ortho and OR today. Whereas the rumor on Ray and Inez hasn't been discarded, it seems that Frank's intervention about Abby being possibly involved with someone has caused a huge interest in our community." She giggled as she remembered the excitement of her colleagues. "Of course, everyone's guess was that she and Dr. Clemente were a hot item." Haleh rolled her eyes. "But since yesterday's little conversation in Sutures between our favorite Attendings, the rumor mill has run wild. Everyone is trying to figure out what it meant."

"I bet they wonder." Frank chuckled. He took his beer and downed half of it.

"It's clearly not unanimous, which is probably a good thing. We don't want things to go too fast. Where's the fun in that? So as of today, we have Inez and Ray..."

"Still? I thought they were over that! How come?" Inez fell on the chair next to Frank.

"Come on Inez, they are about to have a far better story, you'll be forgotten in no time. You have to be patient." Haleh smiled at her. "Rumors have a life of their own. Once out there, you never know what will happen next." The young nurse pouted. Frank patted her arm, and that gesture brought a faint smile back on her lips. "I have already ordered your favorite fruit cocktail to cheer you up."

"Okay, so Inez and Ray, and Abby with Clemente..."

"So we still have Abby and Clemente as our ER turtledoves?" Malik wondered.

"Yeah, we're currently in the star-crossed lovers story. With Luka trying to separate our love birds, word is that he thinks Clemente is not good enough for our dear Abby, and as a friend, he has decided to take matters into his own hands." As Chuny spoke, Haleh closed her eyes and sighed. Well so much for staying vague.

"As a friend? Why not a big brother? Have they seen those two together lately?" The older nurse took a sip of her soda, clearly not happy with this storyline.

"I think it has been too long since Abby and Luka were a couple." Chuny explained. "They are seen as best friends by the whole hospital and it seems hard for most people to even imagine that there could be a repeat."

"Well, at this point, people still think things are that way." Frank added. "They're 'just friends'."

Haleh rolled her eyes and continued. "Let's not get off topic. Everyone will figure out the truth in due time. So...we have established that yes, Abby and Luka did it on the said night."

"We're completely sure?" Inez's question made Chuny chuckle. The young nurse had always doubted the two doctor's intimacy.

"Abby told Neela, who by the way is aware of what we're doing." Haleh explained. "That girl is too smart. I'm not sure if she is going to spill out the beans, but so far she hasn't." Seeing Frank's eyes light up, she quickly added. "And I don't think she'll help us either."

"So what do we do next? Is Clemente going to help us again?" Malik asked.

"I don't think that we'll be needing Clemente anymore." Frank said. "He has run his course. Let the little alien fly back to his mothership."

"I agree. Now I'm not so sure that it was a good idea to put him in the middle."

"It helped us establish facts. It made Kovac react, and it brought some life into our boring daily routine." The older desk clerk reminded her.

"I think we played our cards. If nothing happens, then we have to accept it." Chuny said. "We can only sit back and see if this goes anywhere. If it doesn't, at least we had our fun."

"Well, I sure hope something will happen." Haleh looked at her friend.

"Okay second subject of the evening: tomorrow is the big announcement." Jerry announced. "So who do you think will become ER Chief? Clemente, Kovac or someone else? Who wants to bet on that?"

"I say it's going to be Kovac. The little squirrel isn't cut for it." Frank took a ten dollar bill out of his wallet.

"I'd say it's going to be Clemente." Malik guessed. "They probably brought him in for that. I think it was settled back then."

"I think it's going to be Kovac..." Chuny grabbed her purse to retrieve her cash.

"Okay just put your money and bets on the table, I'll write everything down..." Jerry wrote everything down in their famous betting book. As soon as they had all made their bets, he checked the results. "Okay so $60 for us, 2 for Clemente and 4 for Kovac... Add to that the $30 from Pratt, Barnett and Morris and we have 5 to 4 for Kovac. Wow, that's narrow... As soon as the name is out, I'll split it between the winners."

"So back to our observation round. Tomorrow I will work with Abby." Haleh announced. "Who takes Kovac?" Malik motioned that he would, " Okay, Malik he is yours. Let's see what tomorrow brings!"

"What happened? Weaver seemed really pissed off." Pratt wondered.

"She's looking for our beloved Attendings." Frank answered. "I think she heard about their difficulty to work together. I am to summon them to Trauma 1 as soon as they show up."

"Maybe she already knows who the new chief is and just wants to tell them." Sam was sorting the charts that had come back from triage.

"No, the search committee meeting is at 2 pm. I doubt anything has been decided yet." The desk clerk shook his head and smiled at Haleh, who had just arrived.

"Has Abby arrived?"

"Yeah, she is changing and is going to get us all coffee." Jerry couldn't help laughing at her eagerness. She was already on mission mode, resolute to follow the young doctor the whole day if necessary.

"Good girl!" She smiled and headed for the changing room.

"Hello everybody!" The loud greeting made everyone turn around. Smiles were soon on all the faces.

"Gallant! What the heck are you doing here?" Pratt took his friend in a bear hug. Frank and Jerry came closer to be able to properly greet the young man.

"I didn't have anything special to do, so I just thought I'll come in and check how my buddies are doing." Michael was all smiles. He had missed County General and the friends he had left behind.

"It's so great to see you." Chuny hugged him. "So how are things with Neela? She looked a little under the weather when she came in."

"Yeah, it's probably my fault." He held his breath a second. "I just asked her to marry me on the way here."

"You did what?" Greg asked.

"You can't be serious?" Ray disbelievingly looked at Michael.

"You asked her to marry you? Really? What did she say?" Chuny clapped her hands excited by the announcement. Things were finally getting interesting.

"That she will have me!" He gave a shy smile and seemed to blush a little.

"Congratulations!" Jerry shook his head and couldn't help smiling at the happy news. Soon everyone was there to congratulate the young man.

"This is so great! I'm so happy for you." Haleh gave him a quick hug.

"What happened?" Abby finally joined the little group. Before she could find out what was happening, she was called by Morris.

"Abby, not time to babble! I have a patient for you!" He was motioning her to come next to him. The young woman sighed and turned to her friends.

"Could someone kill him for me? I'm ready to part with all my savings for that. Morris is really getting on my nerves and I'm not even on yet." She checked her watch and grimaced. "Sorry about the coffee, I guess I won't be able to you get some."

"Don't worry. Let me come with you for support." Haleh winked at Frank and joined the young doctor.

"Thanks Haleh! Let's go before our Chief resident bursts an artery. Did you hear what Gallant just said?" The nurse nodded and told her on their way to the exam room.

"I need to check where Neela is." Michael explained as he made his way to the lounge. "We still have tons of things to discuss. I'll be right back."

"Wow, if that doesn't beat our previous rumor, I don't know. All this excitement is going to be the death of me." Jerry theatrically put his hand on his heart.

"What previous rumor?" Ray wondered as he took his first chart.

"Nothing Barnett. You wouldn't be interested." Frank told him.

"Yeah, it started somewhere in Ortho I think. Nothing but lies..." Chuny confirmed, trying hard to remain serious.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

* * *

"Oh my God! What a day! I can't believe it." Haleh bit in her sandwich. "Nothing happened for weeks and suddenly everything is out of control. Can you believe it?"

"Haleh, no more sugar for you today. Just calm down and breathe!" Her excitement made Chuny laugh. She seemed on a sugar high since the morning.

"I can't believe Gallant and Neela are getting married." Frank shook his head. Out of all the people that had assembled, he seemed to be the only one with reservations.

"And I'll be the one to marry them. Oh, I need to leave early." Jerry seemed to be on Cloud 9. Frank looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "I have to check my ceremony apparel. I haven't married anyone in at least a year. Their day has to be perfect. I will meditate to align my karma. Wow! Who would have thought of that yesterday?"

"You're all nuts. You think this is exciting? Two young people rushing into marriage? They hardly know each other. I don't have a good feeling."

"Frank, you should be happy for them and not play the Angel of Doom." Haleh shunned him.

"Sorry if I don't feel elated by the event. It's just... I don't know, maybe I'm just overreacting."

"And have you seen what happened between Luka and Abby?" Haleh went on. Her smile was getting wider by the second. Chuny smirked and teasingly asked.

"No. Has something happened?"

"Well I'm not exactly sure. I just can tell you that, when I left to give this guy haldol, I had half a nerve to walk back in. As soon as I walked out of the room, Luka showed up. And I'm sure he was out there just waiting for me to leave." Frank and Chuny tried very hard not to laugh at her description of the events. "I tried to see what they were doing, but from I stood I just couldn't. But one thing is sure, they were damn close." She paused and nodded to stress out that fact. "When I came back in, Luka left all smiling, winked at me and Abby was all flushed. I'm telling you, today is like a catalyst. Everything is happening today."

"We have to get a temp." They all turned to look at Jerry. He had been completely oblivious to Haleh's story and was only thinking about the wedding ceremony. "I mean if Gallant and Neela are getting married, we will obviously all go. And I need to leave early, so someone has to cover for us."

"I'll take care of that Jerry. Don't worry." Frank assured him. The young clerk nodded in approval and seemed again lost in his thoughts.

"Did any of you listen to a word I just said?" A shocked Haleh asked.

"Haleh, don't blame us." Chuny gave her friend a slight smile. "But currently, we're more into real facts than some fantasy. There is a wedding today. How can you still concentrate on Abby and Luka? We can think about them when this is all over. Okay?"

"Okay." The older nurse gave in. "It's just, so much is happening. My head is just spinning. It's almost too much to take in at once. But you're right. Neela and Michael first. So who is going to be the bridesmaid and the best man?"

"Neela has chosen Abby and Michael has asked Pratt." Chuny answered her.

"Good choice."

"Do you think I can leave by 2 o'clock?" Jerry's question came surprisingly. "Or is it too early? Maybe I should wait until 3 pm."

"2 pm is okay, Jerry." Frank reassured his colleague and stood up. "I hate to leave you, but I need to go home and get a suit for the ceremony. Aren't you getting your stuff?"

"I'll go change before the ceremony. I need to be back on duty in 10 minutes. Eve is waiting for me for some training course." Haleh shuddered as she thought about the nurse manager. Two hours with her didn't sound like fun.

"I'll go later too." Chuny informed him. "You know girls. It's not only about getting dressed, you have to do your hair, have the best make-up, ..."

"You do realize that you have to let the bride be the prettiest today." Frank teased her.

"Very funny, Frank. I'm sure Neela is going to be beautiful."

"I wonder if Abby is going to the wedding with Luka."

"Haleh!" Chuny sounded at the same time shocked and amused.

"You can't prevent this old woman from wondering..." The nurse laughed soon followed by her friend.

* * *

"What a lovely wedding! Neela is just so beautiful." Haleh's voice wobbled as she was observing the newly-wed couple.

"Are you still crying? Oh Haleh!" Chuny took her in a warm embrace and happily rocked her. "You're such a romantic."

"I always cry at weddings. And this one was beautiful." The older nurse smiled and escaping the hug, reached for a handkerchief in her purse.

"You're not crying because Kovac didn't show up and you can't observe him with Abby." Frank hadn't been able to resist the temptation to tease her. She turned around and gave him a scolding look.

"Of course not." She shook her head vehemently and added sure of herself. "And he is coming, I know that."

"How can you possibly know that?" The older man wondered.

"Abby has been checking the door about 10 times in the last 15 minutes. As basically the only person missing is Luka, it's safe to assume that he'll show up." She wiped her eyes and defiantly looked at him.

"Well you can't know that for sure, maybe she is just waiting for Clemente." He comically pronounced the doctor's name and Chuny couldn't help laughing.

"Very funny, Frank!" Haleh answered and shrugged.

"What is funny?" Abby had come out of nowhere. The startled looks of her friends made her frown. What had they been talking about? In the last weeks, she had noticed more than once that their conversations stopped when she approached.

"Ohh, how life is full of surprises!" Chuny was the quickest to recover. "Who would have thought this morning, that there was going to be a wedding?"

"Yeah, certainly not me! And once again I'm the maid of honor." Abby relaxed. Maybe she was simply paranoid, surely they hadn't been talking about her! "At least this time I could wear what I wanted. I still remember this pale green taffetas dress Marcy Andrews forced us to wear on her wedding." She chuckled. "And I thought I was her friend. Believe me this particular shade of green isn't very flattering."

"Your turn will come." Haleh patted her arm.

"What?" Abby looked at her friend quizzically. Suddenly understanding downed upon her. She gave out a little laugh. "Oh! I certainly hope not. I've been down this road once and that was enough for a lifetime."

"Your first husband just wasn't the right guy for you." Haleh explained her. "Your One and Only One might still be out there, looking for you."

"Yeah, right! Poor guy!" The young doctor chuckled at the idea. "And when he finally finds me after all those years, he'll be up for one big disappointment! I wouldn't wish me on my worst enemy." She stopped laughing and became serious. "Ugh, this kind of didn't sound right." She held her glass up and giggled. "I swear this is only Club Soda." Her friends laughed at her little banter.

"I think some people are missing. What do you think, Chuny?" Haleh looked around, pretending to be checking the people present. "I don't see Sam, Clemente or Kovac."

"Sam said she couldn't make it." Chuny teasingly frowned at her friend. Was she fishing for information again? "She couldn't find a baby sitter at such short notice and Alex has an important test to write tomorrow..."

"Luka said he would come to the reception." Abby answered most to the older woman's satisfaction. "He had some stuff to finish. Whatever that was..."

"Oh... and Clemente?" Frank enquired.

"I don't know about Clemente." Abby sobered up and squinted at his little jest.

"So you're not chummy anymore?" The desk clerk wondered.

"We just went out once. Is this going to haunt me for the rest of my life?" She asked her friends. "He practically begged me to go out with him and I gave in." All three knowingly smiled. "And it wasn't a date."

"Hmm..." Haleh took a sip from her drink. She half-heartedly nodded, pretending she didn't believe her.

"I guess you were there, you must know that better than me." Chuny added.

"Yeah, damn right." Abby crossed her arms and resolutely nodded.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

* * *

"Still not here?" Chuny asked Haleh. She had been staring at the entrance since Abby had left them to talk with Neela.

"No, he must be damn busy…" Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Oh, here he comes. Finally! He sure knows "

"Haleh." Frank came closer to the nurse and put his hand on her shoulder. "Had Kovac known that you were so desperately waiting for him to show up, he would have come earlier." His little jest made Chuny and Jerry chuckled. Haleh shook her head.

"Oh yeah... Blah blah blah, Frank." With a shrug, the nurse turned her attention to Luka.

"Well now that he is finally here, we have something to entertain ourselves."

"Haleh, this is a wedding. There are plenty of fun things to do." Chuny noted. "Didn't we speak about leaving Abby and Luka by themselves for the evening?"

"Yeah we did. But as they are both here, it can't hurt watching them..." Haleh answered. Her friends laughed. "What is wrong with that?"

"Nothing is wrong." Frank and Jerry exchanged knowing looks. "This is totally normal."

"Completely." Chuny agreed, winking at the men.

"Hmm, it's a pity he wears a lab coat the whole day…" Haleh sighed.

"Well, it's better than scrubs!" Chuny remarked.

"I don't know with scrubs, we could better see his…"

"Ladies, please!" Frank lifted his right hand. "I thought we had agreed that those discussions were only to be held with no man present." Both women smirked at their colleagues.

"That's true, Haleh. We shouldn't forget that they have fragile egos. You know they're getting older..." Chuny reminded the other woman.

"Yeah, mock us. That's fine. Jerry, some women just can't appreciate what they have."

"Oh, but we appreciate. That's one fine piece of doctor." Haleh laughed as Frank rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, whatever. Is Kovac still talking with Neela and Michael? I can't see him from here."

"Yes, he is. But he has discreetly been where Abby was. I think it won't be long before he join her for a little chat." Chuny observed.

"Oh I think, I need to chat with her too." In a second Haleh was gone.

"Haleh!" Chuny called after her.

"She's hopeless." Frank sighed as he watched her reach Abby. "You realize that if those two hook up again, we have lost her forever."

* * *

"Do you think they will cut the cake soon?"

"I have no clue." Abby looked at her friend and wondered where this question had come from. "Why don't you ask Neela?"

"I don't want to bother her on her wedding day. It sure looks yummy." She smiled and she sat down next to her.

"What the cake?" Abby disbelieving wondered. Haleh cheerfully nodded and for the life of her, the young woman couldn't understand the sudden enthusiasm.

"Yeah!" Haleh hadn't listened to the question. Her shout came as she finally saw Luka making his way towards them.

"I guess so, if you're into that kind of things." Abby giggled at her friend's apparent eagerness for cake.

"Oh Dr. Kovac! What took you so long?" She smiled as he joined them. Abby turned around, pleased by his presence.

"I tried to save Maureen the temp from Clemente's clutches." His eyes were full of mischief. "But I must say that sadly I failed." He theatrically sighed. "I need a beer to get over that."

"Oh don't take it so hard." Abby giggled. "She'll survive. She is safe at County, what can happen to her?"

"Well I don't know…" He raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"Oh Kovac, you have one dirty mind." Abby laughed at his little joke.

"You haven't seen the way, he was ogling her. You had a lucky escape."

"Define lucky?" She leaned against the counter and waited for his answer. Haleh was entranced by the little exchange. This was better than going to the movies.

"Abby, would you like to dance?" The older nurse turned around to look at the intruder. How could someone come now and disturb them? She had been waiting for something like this for weeks.

"Dance… I'm not much into dancing, Malik. Sorry!" She turned towards her friend. "Why don't you ask Haleh? She always loves to dance. Don't you?" Haleh disbelievingly looked at both of them. She sure didn't want to go dancing now. She had far better to do.

"I don't know, Malik. My feet hurt a little tonight." She looked at the male nurse and tried to get the message to him. Sadly he didn't seem to get it.

"Oh, come on. I couldn't take a second no." Malik put his hand on his heart. Haleh sighed.

"Okay, let's go." She smiled at both doctors and followed Malik's lead. As soon as she was out of hearing range, she curtly asked him. "Do you realize what you just did?"

"I invited you to dance!" The young man was taken aback by her tone.

"You prevented me from listening to them. I had a front-row seat and you took me away from it. It was getting interesting. They were definitely flirting with each other." She longingly looked back at the couple.

"Haleh, you're obsessed." Malik noted. "They were just chatting, nothing is happening. They're not even touching."

"Well, but they are damn close."

"You need to see a doctor, and by that I mean one for your head. You're scaring me."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

* * *

"Malik must really have a death wish." Chuny said as she watched her friends on the dance floor. "Why didn't you stop him, when he went there to invite her?"

"He wanted to invite Abby." Frank curtly answered.

"Abby never dances and you know that."

"Well maybe I forgot." His smile proved the contrary.

"Yeah sure." Chuny chuckled. "I never thought Haleh would accept."

"Neither did I. She had been waiting for something like that the whole evening."

"She had been waiting for something like that for weeks. Poor Haleh!" Chuny glanced at Abby and Luka. "They sure seem cozy. I wonder what they are talking about."

"Probably congratulating themselves for having gotten rid of Haleh that easily." Frank grinned and winked at his friends.

"You're so mean." Jerry laughed. "Oh, our dancers are coming back."

"Haleh, you shake it like a pro, you go girl! You showed them all!" Chuny smiled as her friend sat down next to her.

"Yeah. Once I was dragged on the dance floor, I thought I should give my best." Haleh looked reproachfully at Malik.

"I told you, I'm sorry." The young man grumbled, rolling his eyes. "If I had known, how much spying on them meant to you, I would never have asked." Chuny and Jerry laughed at his comment and Frank scratched his head, trying hard not to burst out laughing himself. "But once Abby said I should invite you, it would have been strange, if I hadn't."

"You shouldn't at least have insisted, when I said no the first time."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He looked around and spotted Neela and Michael near the cake. "Ah! I think they plan to cut the cake. Let's join them! Haleh, do you have your camera?"

"Of course. You know I love to take pictures. Those numeric ones are just so handy, they fit in every woman's purse." Everyone stared at her. "What?"

"You're not planning to …" Chuny wondered.

"This thought hadn't even touched my mind." Haleh sounded genuinely shocked. She looked over at Luka and Abby, who were making their way towards the newlyweds. "But who knows, it might become…"

"No way." Chuny shook her head. "That's a big no. I want you to promise me, you won't do that kind of nonsense."

"We might need it!"

"Need it?" Malik wondered.

"In case the others don't believe us!" Haleh's answer had her friends look at each other.

"I already told you, Haleh. You need help." The young stared at his friend disbelievingly. "Okay, let's join them and get a piece of cake."

* * *

"They just look so in love." Chuny dreamingly stated.

"What did they do?" Haleh put her plate on the table and looked toward the bar.

"I'm talking about Neela and Michael."

"Oh! Of course, who else?"

"Well I don't know about you, but I plan to join the limbo craze. I will show you what I am capable of. Any of you wants to join?" Chuny asked.

"Oh, I will. I need to move. Come with me, pretty lady." He extended his hand and bowed. She took it, giggling at the scene. They waved at their friends as they made their way towards Morris and Ray.

"I'm too old for that crap. If I tried that, I'd probably be stuck in that position for the next week or so." Frank grumbled.

"With all the doctors present, I'm sure one of them could help you." Haleh chuckled as she tried to picture her friend doing the limbo.

"Great table for observation." Frank noted, as he watched his friend still lost in her contemplation.

"Yeah, the other one was too far away. I couldn't see them properly." She sipped at her drink. "Are they planning to spend the whole evening at the bar?"

"They came for the cake and chatted with us…" Frank told her.

"That doesn't count. They didn't say or do anything interesting." Haleh sounded frustrated.

"What do you expect them to do? Jump at each other and make out in front of everyone?" Jerry laughed at Frank's question. "That sure would have everyone staring and not just you."

"No, of course not. Not that he isn't interested…"

"He is a man. Of course, he's interested." Frank answered. "Haleh, you need to think about something else. This is getting a little bit obsessive." She coldly glared at him.

"I'm perfectly in control." She longingly looked at the couple still sitting at the bar. "It's just that I like them both a lot. I always thought that given the chance, they would find each other again."

"Are you trying to play Cupid? Is this what this madness is about?"

"Well a little help couldn't hurt…"

"I'm not sure that what we're doing can really qualify as help." Jerry added. Out of nowhere Malik rushed to their table.

"Come on, Haleh! Come dance with me." Malik invited the nurse to join him.

"Have you already lost Chuny?" She teased him.

"Yeah, Ray invited her and now they're dancing like crazy." He pointed at the young couple.

"Come and let us prove that we are the better dancers here." Haleh looked at him and started to smile.

"All right! I'm game. Let the show begin." She stood up and followed Malik's lead.

"That was about time." Frank watched them reach the dance floor. "She definitely needs another hobby."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

"This party is great!" A beer in his hand, Malik was appreciatively looking around. "We should go out more often. We used to do that a lot in the past. I kind of miss it. I could dance till the end of time." He took Haleh's hand and made her swing.

"Malik, I don't know what you're on, but you should cut it down." She was laughing so hard, she hardly could speak. "That can't be good for your health."

"Hahaha! Very funny, Haleh!" He winked at her and led her towards their table. Still smiling, the nurse checked the room and suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

"Where are Luka and Abby?"

"What?" Malik frowned, wondering where that had come from.

"Last time I checked they were seated at the bar and were chatting. Where did they go?" She looked at where she had last seen them.

"Maybe they're dancing." He proposed.

"They don't dance." Haleh's answer was curt. She frantically looked around at every corner of the room.

"Maybe they have gone looking for a more intimate setting. I saw Jenny from OR and Devon from Ortho making out in one of those dark corners." He chuckled as he imagined them hidden somewhere.

"Let's check with the others." She rushed to their table, Malik close on her heels. "Have you seen Abby and Luka?" Chuny chuckled at her question.

"I think they left." Jerry informed her. He was still smiling widely.

"They left?" Frank nodded. "They left before the bride and the groom?" Chuny shrugged. "You have to be kidding me. I have to check that with Neela." Malik took a step back as she rushed past him.

"Wow, she sure is obsessed." Chuny smiled as she observed her friend.

"Is she becoming a stalker?" Malik looked at his friends a worried look on his face. "I mean, shouldn't we warn them?"

"Oh, no! Not yet. It's only early stages." Frank answered matter-of-factedly, half smiling. "When she'll start following them and checking their mail, we'll reassess the situation."

"Neela, I was looking for Abby. Have you seen her? I think she forgot her scarf."

"Oh, she has already left. She didn't feel too well. Luka offered to drive her home. With this weather, it was better than taking the El."

"Oh okay. Then I suppose she won't need it tonight."

"No, she should be quite warm."

"Shouldn't we leave too? I mean, this is our wedding night… and you have to get in early tomorrow."

"Yeah, we probably should. Will you excuse us, Haleh? We need to prepare our little speech."

"They sure left together… Who has a car?"

"Haleh! Have you lost your mind?"

"What? I was just checking, it's really cold outside. I thought it was better than taking the El."

"Oh come on. You want to check if Luka's car is parked near Abby's flat."

"That thought never crossed my mind. So who has a car?"

"Forget it. We're all going straight home."

"But…"

"But nothing! We agreed that you wouldn't think about Abby and Luka until after the wedding is over."

"The wedding IS over."

"We were thinking about tomorrow. She went home early, she has no reason to be tired tomorrow at work…"

"Oh right!" A radiant smile formed on Haleh's face. "I can't wait to question her."

"You bought them ten hours." Leaning toward Chuny, Frank whispered. "Let's hope they use it well."

"I'm sure they will."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…

* * *

Abby groaned as she entered the hospital in a rush. A brief look at the clock told her what she already knew, she was 15 minutes late. Divesting her coat as she walked towards the lounge, she gave Admit a quick look. Things didn't seem too busy as Neela was chatting with Chuny.

"You're late, Lockhart." Eve shouted her way as she walked by.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll be here in a minute." Great not even 10 seconds in and the head nurse had already managed to ruin her day. She rushed in the lounge, opened her locker and grabbed her lab coat and stethoscope. As she ran out struggling to close the coat, she felt her still wet hair drench her turtleneck. She groaned for the second time and cursed. She hated that sweater, the wool was hoarse and by the end of the day her neck would be raw from the friction. But she had had no choice this morning, it was the only one which effectively hid the hickey Luka gave her last night. Yeah first sin on the list. Of course they had spend far longer than 20 minutes in the shower, leaving her no time to get her hair dry. Second sin... She walked to the Admit and smiled at Neela who was waiting there.

"Hey, how is our newly-wed doing this morning?" Abby asked with a smile.

"I'm doing good, thank you." The young doctor answered. With a smile Neela freed a strand of Abby's hair which had been stuck in her lab coat. Instantly her hand went to her collar to press it more firmly against her throat. Neela laughed at her start. "You sure seem jumpy. What happened to you? Your hair is still wet and you look positively exhausted. Rough night?" She wondered her smile widening.

"Well I didn't hear my..."

"You're late, Abby!" Morris interrupted her at mid-sentence. "Your excuse being?" He cocked his head and Abby felt hey eyes squint. That was exactly what she needed, Morris on her back minutes after she came in. She closed her eyes a second to collect herself, then sweetly smiled at him.

"Gee thanks, Morris. I might have missed that fact. And I'm not even 15 minutes late."

"That's 15 minutes too many." He scolded her. "Take an example on Neela. Our prett bride was here on time, and that, even though I'm pretty sure she had a very busy night."

"Morris!" Neela screamed out shocked.

"What? It was your wedding night after all." He reminded her. "One is entitled to have fantasies." His dreamy and far-away look at the end of the sentence made both doctors roll their eyes. Frank chuckled at the sight but got serious again as Neela looked daggers at him. She turned towards Morris again.

"Please, don't have fantasies about me and Michael." She pleaded with him. "That is one thought I can do without." Morris shrugged and turned his attention back to Abby.

"So what's your excuse, Abby? You didn't hear your alarm clock? You got stuck in traffic? Maybe a suicide on the El?"

"You're far too curious. So I woke up too late. It won't happen again and I'll stay longer tonight."

"Of course you will. An additional hour would do nicely." He firmly announced. Abby felt her shoulders sag. Great! A 15-hour shift definitely sounded like fun after the little sleep she had gotten. And that was sin number three. She shifted a little, slightly smiling as she remembered Luka's massage. Sure that had soothed her aching muscles, but what had followed clearly hadn't.

"Do you already know who the new ER chief is?" Morris asked turning once again towards Abby. She felt herself blush by the mere mention of their future chief. She cleared her throat but no sound seemed able to pass her lips. She coughed a little, mentally chastising herself for letting pictures from the previous night and early morning enter her mind with Morris or anyone next to her.

"Was it announced?" Neela wondered coming to her rescue.

"Not yet. But the choice has been made." Morris confirmed. "Sadly as none of our Attendings is in at this ungodly hour, we're all left to wonder."

"Then why are you asking me?" Abby could finally vocalize her question.

"We thought you might know." Frank answered, suddenly very interested by the turn their conversation had taken.

"Why should I know?" She insisted on the 'I'.

"Oh come on, Abby. You chatted with Kovac last night." The clerk reminded her. "We thought that maybe, he had told you something."

"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. But it isn't my place to say anything." She added with a smile. "And as I was reminded forcefully several times, my shift has started and patients are waiting for me. Let's see, hmm yummy, I have an ulcer to debride in Exam 1, a head lac to suture in 3, a woman with abdominal pains in 2 and a little boy who has apparently lost 2 marbles in his nose in 4. Suddenly I'm happy I didn't have time for breakfast. See, I'm far too busy to answer your questions."

"I'll take the ulcer, if you tell me who the new ER chief is." Morris proposed, ready to take the chart from her.

"I'll give you a doughnut." Frank offered already opening the box containing his much beloved morning treats.

"Hmm I don't know." Abby tapped with a pen against her lips, pretending to give their offers serious thinking. "The idea of you depending on me for news is kind of thrilling, elating..." She finally said. Both men drew back frowning.

"Don't push it, we'll know in 40 minutes." Morris reminded her.

"Exactly. Happy waiting! See you when I'm finished." Abby smiled and turned on her heels.

"I can't believe, she didn't say a thing." Morris sat down next to Frank and went through his files sighing.

"I'd say it's Kovac." Frank predicted. "He was in too good a mood last night for having lost to Clemente."

"Yeah, he had a good day yesterday." The chief resident agreed.

"He definitely got lucky." Frank laughed at his little joke and winked at Neela and Chuny. Morris looked up from his files.

"Becoming chief has nothing to do with luck." He explained with passion. "It's skills, hard word and dedication."

"He wasn't talking about becoming chief." Chuny explained.

"About what then?" Morris frowned and looked at both women questioningly.

"Morris, you're really clueless sometimes." Neela noted. "I'll go help Abby, this report can wait."

"What?" He asked her, as she left waving her hand in his direction. Chuny shook her head and followed the young doctor. Frank just smirked but remained silent. "Why isn't anybody telling me a thing?"


End file.
